Our God Perseveres to Fulfill His Plan

God has His own definite plan for each one of us. Being sensitive of God’s plan for us and cooperating with Him to fulfil His plan in our lives, will enable us to lead a purpose driven life.  No matter what happens, He does all that He can in order to fulfill His will and plan in our lives. Our thought for reflection this Friday day morning is, “Our God perseveres to fulfill His plan”.

Then God said to him (Abimelech) in the dream,

“Yes, I know you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her”.
(Genesis 20:6)

Fearing that there would be danger to his own life, Abraham introduced Sarah again as his sister in Gerar just as he had earlier introduced her in Genesis 12:10-13.  Instead of trusting God to keep him and Sarah together, he devised his own plan to ensure their safety. But this plan of Abraham not only subjected Sarah to the danger of becoming Abimelech’s wife but also was about to jeopardize God’s promise to Abraham to bless him with a son. Abraham ignored God’s promise because of his misguided fear about his own safety. But God did not give up easily. That speaks volumes of God’s perseverance to fulfil His plan in Abraham’s life.

1. God prevented Abimelech from having any relationship with Sarah.

Though Abraham’s unwise act subjected Sarah to danger, God intervened through a dream and warned Abimelech of committing the sin of having any relationship with Sarah. God said,

“You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman"
(Genesis 20:3).

Abraham who had lied in the past to escape danger from a powerful ruler who was attracted to his wife did not see any reason to change his tactics. Even though Abraham stumbled again as he had stumbled before, God who wanted to fulfil His promise to Abraham to bless him with Isaac, intervened in His own way. Are we constantly taking decisions and doing things in ways contrary to God’s plan?

2. God protected Sarah from Abimelech and restored her back to Abraham.

God who was determined to bless the nations through Abraham’s heir, revealed to Abimelech of His divine role in keeping Sarah safe. He said,

“…I have kept you from sinning against me. That is why I did not let you touch her. Now return the man’s wife…”
(Genesis 20:6-7a).

God also warned Abimelech of the consequences of not restoring Sarah to Abraham:

“But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die”
(Genesis 20:7b).

Do we realize that in spite of some of our wrong acts and decisions God has been graciously protecting us from facing worst consequences and dangers?

Whenever we disappoint our colleagues, peers and bosses they immediately write us off.  But it is not true with God. What an encouragement and comfort it is to know that in spite of our constant failures and attempts to move away from the centre of God’s will, He has not given up on us. God’s perseverance with Abraham gives us the hope that He would fulfil His will and plan in our lives too. His constant intervention and protection have kept us within His reach. This morning, shall we commit ourselves into His Holy hands and cooperate with Him so that He may fulfil His perfect will and plan in our lives?

Blessed day and fruitful weekend!

Our God Remembers Us

The worst feeling is not being lonely. Mostly it is being forgotten by those we cannot forget. Someone said, “I am afraid of being forgotten. Because it seems everyone I get close to, ends up forgetting me”.  People who promise us to be friends forever forget us as time passes. When those whom we expect to be in touch with us become strangers, we are disappointed. It is true that when circumstances turn difficult we conclude that even God has forgotten us. But it is very comforting and encouraging to be reminded this morning that our God does not forget us even for a moment. Our thought for reflection this Wednesday morning is, “Our God remembers us”.

“So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, He remembered Abraham, and He brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived”
(Genesis 19:29).

The phrase “God remembered Abraham” reminds of the turning point in the flood story when “God remembered Noah in Genesis 8:1. Both the story of Noah and the story of Abraham are records of universal destruction brought about by human wickedness and salvation of the righteous by divine grace. God’s act of saving Lot and his family in response to Abraham’s prayer shows Him as a true friend who comes to the rescue of a righteous man. When our prayers fail to bring immediate response from God, we need not be discouraged as He is a God who remembers us.

1. God remembered the Prayers of Abraham.

Abraham must have been deeply concerned by what the Lord disclosed to him regarding the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Bible says,

“He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace”
(Genesis 19:28) 

Abraham must have been terrified to see that sight. But in that context the Bible says, “… he (God) remembered Abraham…”. Abraham, would not have known what could have happened to his nephew and his family. But Abraham could count and trust on “the fair Judge of all the earth” and “one who always remembers His faithful”. Have you come to the conclusion that like other human beings, God has also forgotten you? Never will He!

2. God remembered to Protect Lot and his family.

As Abraham desired and pleaded with God, the Bible says

“He (God) brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived"
(Genesis 19:29)

The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah reminds us that God is a consuming fire to the wicked. At the same time, God’s protection of Lot and his family from destruction reminds us that He is a friend of the righteous and protects the righteous. God who remembered Abraham and protected Lot, demonstrated His mercy in rescuing the godly from destruction. Are we often concerned about our safety and security in this unsafe world? We need not!

May our hearts be encouraged by the thought that our Lord will remember us and our prayers. God who remembers us will be our joy and comfort both today and in the days to come. Let’s begin this new day with the faith in our God who remembers us and protects us.  His promise this morning is,

“For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “… for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye”
(Zechariah 2:8).

So long as our actions are righteous before God, our God will always remember us and protect us.

Blessed day!

Our God Instructs Us not to Look Back

One of the greatest gifts of God to mankind is His Holy Word! His Word is the light to our feet and lamp to our path every day. Thanks be to our God for His clear cut instructions every day in order to enable us to avoid being destroyed or being led astray. The thought for our reflection this morning is, “Our God instructs us not to look back".

“As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives” Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain. Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
(Genesis 19:17)

Sodom is always symbolically associated with anything that is evil, perverted, sinful and ungodly. In Genesis 19 we read that the city's sins became so vile and wicked, that it reached even unto heaven. And finally God literally said to Abraham that the sin of that city had risen to heaven. The angels of God were just relaying God’s detailed instructions to Lot and his family with the aim of protecting them:

Lot was instructed not look back but to flee to the mountains.

Where are we looking? This is an important question when it comes to our spiritual walk and life on this earth. Knowing very well that Lot would be tempted to turn to see the goods and substance that he had left behind in Sodom, the Angels strictly instructed him not to look back. Probably God was demanding of Lot and his family a total abandonment in heart and will of the condemned cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. We are here reminded of the Israelites who left Egypt but still constantly longed for their past life in Egypt. Sometimes we are like people of Israel, looking and longing for all that the sinful world offers. Perhaps it’s the dream job with attractive perks but which may require us to spend countless hours at work at the cost of our relationship with God and neglecting our family, our health and even our faith. Or perhaps our past sinful habits which once upon a time gave us temporary pleasures are constantly tempting us to return to our past when we yielded our bodies to gratify the sinful desires of our flesh. As redeemed children of God, true that we are committed to live a life of service for our new master Jesus. But are we not often tempted by our old master Satan, who does everything possible in his power to tempt us to look back and return to our past life of sin?

Even as we begin a new week, shall we determine to keep our eyes fixed on our Saviour Jesus and the joy awaiting us in eternity. Did not Apostle Paul instruct us to

“Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart?"
(2 Timothy 2:22).

Shall we rededicate ourselves this morning, not look back or to return to our sinful past?

Blessed day and a fruitful week!

Our God’s Mercies Endure Forever

Often we decide and do things as our common sense guides us. Sometimes we even ignore God’s instructions in His Word and act in ways which seem best to our own eyes and thinking. In spite of our lack of understanding and hesitation to obey God’s Word, God has been graceful to us. The thought for our reflection this morning is, “Our God’s mercies endure for ever”.

“When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them”
(Genesis 19:16).

The behaviour of Lot sometimes forces us to ask the question, “Did Lot really deserve the mercy of God”? The words “when he hesitated” in Genesis 19:16 seem to suggest that Lot’s attachment to Sodom could have been stronger than his desire to depart from Sodom in obedience to God’s command. Probably Lot was a man who would like to do things in ways that seemed right to his own thinking and understanding.

1.  Lot delayed his departure from Sodom.

The urgency of the angels to leave Sodom was clearly revealed when they urged Lot with the following words:

“Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here or you will be swept away when the city is punished”
(Genesis 19:15).

But the Bible says that Lot hesitated. Lot was probably clinging on to his wealth in Sodom and found it difficult to make up his mind to leave it. Even though he had been told that the city was about to be destroyed, Lot needed further persuasion from the angels. Later the angels had to take him, his wife and daughters by force and lead them safely out of the city. Do we often hesitate and delay in obeying God’s Word in spite of His constant warning?

2.  Lot disputed the advice to flee to the mountains.

The advice of the angels was that Lot and his familyt was not to stop anywhere in the plain but flee to the mountains. But in contrary to the angels’ advice Lot pleaded with them to be allowed to go the small city of Zoar:

“Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it- it is small”
(Genesis 19:20). 

Probably Lot thought that a smaller city would be less sinful than the larger city of Sodom. In response to Lot’s plea, the angels mercifully permitted Lot and his family to flee to Zoar, which was spared from God’s judgement.  Do we constantly do things contrary to what the Word of God says?

It is shocking and surprising to see God’s patience and longsuffering in his dealings with Lot. It was not due to Lot’s merits but due to the mercy of God that he and his family were saved from destruction.  It also reveals that the mercy of God always strives to overcome man’s slowness and delay in obeying His commands. Obedience to God must never be delayed! May we not take God’s mercy for granted! But decide not to hesitate or delay in obeying His Word! May His mercies which endure forever encourage and motivate us to obey His Word always!

Blessed weekend!

Our God Would Intervene and Protect Us at All Times

It is true that when we travel to unknown places and live among strangers we feel insecure. But at times we feel insecure even in familiar environments and among people with whom we have lived for years. When we are under pressure and stressed too, we feel very much insecure as we fear that something bad could happen to us. But we can be sure that our God would be our security and protection at such times. The thought for our reflection this morning is “Our God would intervene and protect us at all times”.

“But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door”
(Genesis 19:10-11)

Lot trusted the people of Sodom and even addressed them as “My friends” in Genesis 19:6. Earlier we saw that “Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city” with the men of Sodom (Genesis 19:1). He never would have imagined that the people of Sodom would do anything to harm him and his family. But what he did not expect happened. His so called friends became his enemies.

1. God reaches out to us when we are in danger.

The men of Sodom who were asking Lot to handover the two strangers who were with him later became very aggressive and violent. The Bible says,

“They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door”
(Genesis 19:9).

Not only they were asking for the two strangers to be handed over to them but warned Lot that they would “treat him worse than them”. But when the angels realized that Lot’s life was in danger they “reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door”.  What the angels did must have required supernatural strength. That revealed to Lot for the first time that his guests were more than mere men. Are we feeling very insecure, fearing that the worse would happen to us? God assures us this morning of his protection.

2. God rescues us by dealing with those who try to harm us.

We see that the divine visitors not only protected Lot but dealt with the men of Sodom who attempted to harm Lot and his family. The Bible says,

“...they stuck the men who were at the door of the house…with blindness so that they could not find the door”.
(Genesis 19:10-11) 

The work of striking the men with blindness was definitely an act of supernatural intervention. God dealt appropriately with those who tried to harm Lot. When we look around our lives, do we feel at times as if we are being surrounded by adversaries whom we cannot handle? If we are feeling helpless this morning, God assures us that He would handle those who are against us.

Let’s look up to God with confidence as He is fully aware of our sense of insecurity. He is aware of the dangers surrounding us. He knows when to reach out to us and protect us. He will rescue us from dangers and from those who plan to harm us. Did not the Psalmist pray this way:

“My times are in your hands; deliver me from the hands of my enemies, from those who pursue me”
(Psalm 31:15).

He who intervened and rescued Lot and dealt with those who planned to harm him, would do the same to us too.

Have a blessed day!

Our God Listens and Responds When We Intercede

In a busy world we rarely find time to listen to others and we hardly find people being ready to listen to our concerns. But when we turn to the scripture we are encouraged to know that God is ready to listen to our cries, prayers and intercessions. The thought for our reflection this morning is “Our God listens and responds when we intercede”.

Abraham approached Him and said:

“Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? What if there are fitty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?”
(Genesis 18:23-24)

When we read about Abraham’s encounter with the three divine visitors in Genesis 18, we come to know that two of them went on their way but the third person who was identified as “the Lord”, remained with Abraham and allowed him to plead and bargain with Him about the cities. Missionary Andrew Murray said, “Prayer is not a monologue, but dialogue. God’s voice in response to mine is its most essential part”.  Theologians say that Abraham’s conversation with God in Genesis 18, is the first dialogue in the Bible that man initiated with God. But it is shocking and surprising to know that Abraham had influence with the highest authority and was on speaking terms with God who could change the history.

1. God permitted Abraham to negotiate with Him regarding the destruction of cities.

It is unusual to find an ordinary human being coming face to face with God and negotiating with Him to spare the lives of a particular family when God planned to destroy two cities. This description of man bargaining with God is one of the most daring pictures of divine-human relations in the entire Bible. Abraham’s attempt to strike a bargain with God may though seem strange to many, it speaks volumes about the kind of friendship and unique relationship that Abraham had with God. Do we have that kind of friendship and strong relationship with God?

2.  God patiently listened to Abraham and responded to him. 

Abraham’s attempt to negotiate with God, presents an excellent example of intercessory prayer. He approached God without fear but with all due respect on the basis of His merciful character. Abraham realized who he was:

“Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes..." 
(Genesis 18:27).

Abraham boldly first asked God that the city might be spared if there were 50 righteous (18:24), then 45 (18:28), then 40 (18:29), then 30 (18:30), then 20 (18:31), and finally ten (18:32). God did give Abraham a patient listening ear to all his questions and assured that for the sake of even ten righteous men he would spare the city. Have we come to the conclusion that God would not listen to our intercession or prayers ?

A friend is a person with whom we are not afraid to share our desires, disappointments and struggles. When there is an open communication between two persons their relationship is strengthened. It is quite interesting to read in Genesis 18 that God, considering Abraham as His friend said,

“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”
(Genesis 18:17).

In the same way Abraham considering God as His Lord, took liberty with Him and interceded for the protection of his nephew and his family. Let us come before our God this morning who listens and responds when we intercede with Him. Thus, with confidence, let’s pray, pour out our heart's desires and intercede on behalf of those who are in need for He is ready to listen to us.

Have a blessed week!

He is a God Who Wants to Have an Everlasting Relationship with Us

What an encouragement His Word is to each one of us every morning. Our God does not desire to make a contract with us but an eternal covenant with us. Why? Because HE IS A GOD WHO WANTS TO HAVE AN EVERLASTING RELATIONSHIP WITH US.

"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you"
(Genesis 17:7)

Human relationships on this earth do not always withstand time. Being ignored by close relatives and being forgotten by close friends have become the norms of the day. Promises made and contracts signed yesterday are broken very casually today. But God is different. Let's look at our God's promises in that context:

1. I will establish my covenant as an EVERLASTING COVENANT.

By saying that He would establish His covenant,  God promised that it would never be altered and that it would be fulfilled at any cost. The words "covenant" and "everlasting" give a long term dimension to God's relationship with Abraham. It clearly means that this relationship with Abraham and his descendants would be eternal, transcending the limits of time. He would take care of them eternally.  Is our relationship with God shaky and determined by circumstances.

2. I will give as an EVERLASTING POSSESSION to you and your descendants after you and I will be their God.

God summed up in this promise all the privileges of covenant He made with Abraham. A person needs nothing else to keep him happy during his life time. What God meant was that, what He was, that He would be to Abram and his descendants. He would be their wisdom to guide and counsel them and power to support them during times of weakness. He would be their goodness to provide their needs. He would be their comfort at times of grief. What all faithful worshippers expect from their God that He promised to provide to Abraham and his descendants. Are we living as faithful worshippers of our God, that we may also enjoy those privileges as spiritual descendants of Abraham?

God longs to have the same kind of eternal relationship with us. What He was to Abraham and his descendants He wants to be to us and our families. Shall we determine not to do anything that would disturb our eternal relationship with Him? Shall we commit to live as faithful worshippersthat we may also inherit all the blessings that He has in store for His children?

Blessed weekend!

Our God Choses Us With a Purpose

Bible Commentator William Barclay says, "There are two great days in a person's life—the day we are born and the day we discover why."  It's the "why" that gives us a clear purpose in our lives.  Understanding the purpose of our lives sets our feet in motion as we work to live up to our God-given potential. Our thought for reflection this Thursday morning is, “Our God choses us with a purpose”.

“For I have chosen him (Abraham), so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He Has promised him”
(Genesis 18:19).

Whether one’s life is meaningful or meaningless depends on whether or not one chooses to be purposeful. We can lead a purposeful life only by understanding why God chose us. God wanted Abraham’s faith, integrity and obedience to be instilled in his descendants too.  Thus here in Genesis 18:19, God clearly tells the purpose why He chose Abraham:

1. That he may direct his family to keep the way of the Lord.

From the time God called Abraham in Genesis 12, He taught Abraham His ways. Some of the lessons or ways of God that Abraham learnt were, “Importance of implicit obedience to God and unflinching faith in Him. God also taught Abraham that “man cannot fulfil God’s will in his own strength and he needs to be patient and wait for God’s time” for everything. God expected Abraham to teach these lessons to his descendants. We may provide our children and family with sumptuous food, good education and fashionable clothes. But are we directing them to keep the ways of the Lord?

2. That he may guide his family to keep doing what is right and just. 

God wanted Abraham to be a spiritual leader at home and teach his descendants right things. His desire was that, like Abraham, his children should also do things that were good, right and just both before God and man. God expected Abraham to use his authority to give the needful instructions to his descendants so that they might continue to do what was right and just before God, even after his death.  How faithful are we in directing our children to do what is right and just before God?

3. That he may be a channel of blessing to many.

God promised that if Abraham fulfilled faithfully his role as a spiritual leader in guiding his descendants in His path, then He would fulfil His promise to bless the nations through him. God said,

“For I have chosen him………. So that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him”
(Genesis 18:18).

Are we a blessing to others or enjoying God’s blessings all by ourselves?

Shall we decide to lead a purposeful life by directing our children and others around us in the ways of God. May God give us the grace to fulfil our spiritual responsibility of leading our children and others to do what is right so that God may bless us and continue to keep us as a blessing to others.

Have a blessed day!

Our God Recognizes and Honours Our Relationship with Him

More than what we are doing in terms of service, He is interested in our close relationship with Him. Having a real, intimate relationship with God is not about what we are doing for Him or how long or how well we are doing it for Him but it’s about knowing who God really is, what His will is and doing it. Further it’s about spending time in His presence and knowing His plan for the world. The thought for our reflection this morning is, “Our God recognizes and honours our relationship with Him”.

Then the Lord said,

“Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”
(Genesis 18:17)

Is it not true that the secret of the Lord is with them that fear him (Psalms 25:14) and with those who walk in His ways? Those that by faith live a life of communion with God, will know and understand more of His mind than other people. They will have a better insight into what is present, and a better foresight of what is to come. Did not God reveal His plan to destroy the world by flood to Noah? In the same way, here in Genesis 18, we read that God revealed His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah to Abraham. Why did God reveal his plan to Abraham.

1.  Because of Abraham’s INTIMATE relationship with God.

The Bible calls Abraham as the “Friend of God”.  James says,

‘And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend” '
(James 2:23).

Keeping in mind the fact that it was against the laws of friendship to conceal or hide secrets, God decided to reveal His plans to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah to Abraham. How intimate is our relationship with God that He wouldn’t hesitate to reveal His plans to us?

2. Because of Abraham’s IMPORTANT role in being a blessing to the nations.

Nothing could more reveal the importance of Abraham in the purposes of God than this stated intention of God to bless the nations through Abraham. God said,

“Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him”
(Genesis 18:18).

Abraham was so involved in God’s plan for the future of the world that God felt that he deserved to know what God would do. To what extend are we involved in God’s plan for the world that we deserve to know what He would do?

Just as God extends His friendship to us by speaking to us daily through His Holy Word, so also we must return that friendship to Him by confiding in Him. He desires that we spend quality time in worshiping Him, talking to Him, pouring out our hearts to Him, telling Him of our love for Him and sharing every need and desire of ours. As we grow in our intimacy with Him, He in return would reveal His plans for the world and keep us as a blessing to many.

Blessed day!

Our God is Keen to Have an Intimate Relationship With Us

In our attempt to fulfil our daily chores and responsibilities, we may be forced to often ignore our time with God. But our God is more interested in our relationship and fellowship with Him than what we do for Him. Our thought for reflection this Monday morning is, “Our God is keen to have an intimate relationship with us”.

“The Lord appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day”
(Genesis 18:1)

Life has become too busy and crowded with activities that we never feel like we have enough time to accomplish everything we want to or need to do. But the clock keeps ticking faster than ever before. Often we behalf like robots, rapidly moving from one task to another. And at the end of the day we feel overworked, overstressed and spiritually undernourished. The passage in Genesis 18:1-15, describes the visit of God to Abraham’s tent and His important conversation with him.

1. Abraham responded by attempting to connect with the Lord.

There has been no mention of God walking on earth since His appearance in the “garden of Eden”. Thus His encounter here with Abraham is unique and has a divine purpose.  Genesis 18:1 says, “The Lord appeared to Abraham…”. That speaks volumes of our God’s desire to strengthen His relationship with Abraham and in a wider scale with all human beings. It is interesting to note how Abraham responded to God’s visitation. The Bible describes Abraham’s response in this way:

“When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground…”
(Genesis 18:2).

Twice in Genesis 18, Abraham ran or hurried: he hurried to meet the men (v 2) and he hurried to the herd to obtain a calf to provide the men a sumptuous meal (v 7). How desperate are we to connect with God every day especially at the beginning of the day to speak to Him through prayer and hear Him speak to us through His Word?

2.  Abraham responded by attempting to commune with the Lord.

The Bible says that Abraham pleaded with the visitors to have fellowship with him:

“If I have found favour in your eyes, my Lord, do not pass your servant by”
(Genesis 18:3).

The very fact that Abraham addressed one of his visitors as “my Lord” suggests that Abraham recognized their visit as divine manifestation. Abraham’s eagerness to encounter and experience God is revealed here. He desired God to remain with him and so he said, “Please do not pass your servant by”. Is our prayer this morning that God’s favour should be upon us and that He should not pass by us without blessing us?

In order to be successful in all our jobs and responsibilities this day and throughout this week we need to first begin everyday of this week with a fruitful time of fellowship and communion with God. Let’s determine to begin every day of this week by connecting and communing with God through prayer and reading His Word. Isaiah 55:6 says,

“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on Him while He is near.”

When we seek His face every morning through prayer and reading of His Word, He will guide us throughout this day and throughout this week. Shall we decide to have a personal and intimate relationship with our God?

Have a blessed day and a fruitful week!

Our God Alone is Trustworthy

When we wait too long for divine response to our pleas and cries, we almost reach the point of accepting our predicament and reconciling with our situation. But the Bible reminds us this morning that our God keeps His promises and fulfils His plans, no matter how much the delay could be. Our thought for reflection this morning is, "OUR GOD ALONE IS TRUSTWORTHY".

"God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will bethe morher of nations; kings od people's will come from her"
(Genesis 17:15-16)

Though Abraham is always known as "Father of Faith", his walk with God was not that easy as we think. In Genesis 17 we see Abraham to be a man of like passions and weaknesses like any one of us.

1. Abraham disbelieved God

It is interestingnote how Abraham reacted when he heard God's words that He would give him a son by Sarah. The Bible says,

"Abraham fell facedown; He laughed and said to himself, "Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?" (Genesis 17:17).

Have we waited too long for God's intervention and have reached the point of disbelief?

2. Abraham doubted God

Earlier in Genesis 17:3 when Abraham fell face down, it was a posture of reverential acceptance of God's intervention. But here in Genesis 17:17it seems to be response to avoid showing that he was laughing. Although outwardly Abraham's act of falling face down here suggests compliance and submission, his innermost thoughts particularly his laughter suggests a sense of doubt and hopelessness.y Are we filled with doubts and hopelessness this morning?

Let's be encouraged to know that our God's plans would never be changed. Though things around us may suggest that positive things in our lives are improbable, God reminds us that He would always keep His Word. Let us remember the words He spoke to Abraham,

"Yes, but your wife will bear you a son and you will call him Isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him"
(Genesis 17:19).

No matter whatever is our sitution, let us not allow doubts and disbelief to crowd our minds. Let's begin this new day, keeping our hope in our God and His Word, as He alone is trustworthy!

Blessed day!

Our God Has His Own Time to Execute His Plans

Some of us may be going through a bad season or unpleasant times in our lives. Our finances may look bad, our health may be failing and things at work place and family may also not be that good. Even the future may look bleak. Probably it is a time of discouragement and disappointments. In the midst of all these, the Word of God reminds us that our God has His own way for working in our lives. The thought for our reflection today is, “OUR GOD HAS HIS OWN TIME TO EXECUTE HIS PLANS”.

“But my covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” (Genesis 17:21).

When we read through the Bible, we understand that God has been working with His own time from the beginning of Creation. Our omnipotent God has appointed exact times for things to be done according to His calendar. We are reminded of what Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 3:11,

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end”.

Abraham and Sarah were desperate to see God’s promise of blessing them with a son becoming a reality. But Abraham and Sarah’s time was not God’s time.

1.  God is not man to PROMISE and not to keep His promise

When God delayed in fulfilling His promise Abraham decided to settle with his second best that is Ishmael. That’s the reason when God said to Abraham, “I will bless her (Sarah) and will surely give you a son by her” in Genesis 17:16, Abraham asked God, “Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?” and said to God, “If only Ishmael might live under your blessing!” (Genesis 17:18). Are we disillusioned by God’s delay in fulfilling His promise and now at the verge of settling with the second best?

2.  God is one who PREDETERMINES the time to fulfil His promise

God for the first time clearly specifies the time when Sarah would bear a son:

“… Sarah will bear to you by this time next year” (Genesis 17:21b). 

He repeats that in Genesis 18:10:

“Then the Lord said, I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your will wife will have a son.”

God’s “predetermined time” may appear to be “delayed time” to us though it may the best time in God’s calendar. Are we becoming desperate due to the delay in answer to our prayers and fulfilment of God’s promises?

Did not the wise man say,

“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Is it not true that even our own timings often go wrong but God’s timing will always be perfect?  “God is not human, that He should lie, not a human being, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil?” Let’s not lose hope but surrender our sense of desperation and disappointment to God and keep believing that He who has our future in His hands would fulfil His promises in His own time.

Blessings!
 

WITCH CAMPS - JAN 2015

     As we promised to travel to the north for our monthly rural mission to the Witch Camps, we give thanks to the Almighty God for granting us the opportunity and the grace to make the trip a success.

     A team of six left Oda in the early hours of Tuesday January 20 by a public transport to Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana where we made a transit and board a bus bound for the north. We arrived at Kokuo in the Nanumba south district in the northern region around 20:30 GMT. We passed the night in a motel and set off to the witch camp at 09 hours on Wednesday.

     On arrival we found the camp as a cottage settlement with many small huts and the inmates mostly women and very old. About 87% of the inmates were women many of them living with their children. The living condition at Kokuo camp is serious bad. Farming is the main occupation while the inmates were mostly hired laborers. Poverty  is below 10% by the standard in the northern region.

     A Witch Camp is a settlement where women suspected of being witches can flee for safety, in order to avoid being lynched by neighbors. Many women in the camp are widows and it is believed that relatives accused them of witchcraft in order to take control of their husband’s properties. 

     On the arrival at the camp we paid a courtesy visit to the village chief Bagpo, as well as the local chief priest Timdana. We made our intention to these opinion leaders and they welcome us and pledge their support for us. We did personal evangelism from hut to hut meeting the villagers one by one preaching Christ. We had a break at 2: pm. 

     At 5:00 pm we are ready for evening crusade at the center of the village with our P.A Systems ready for preaching. There is no electricity in the village so we started the program three hour than the usual evening crusade to avoid darkness. The crusade was blessed with twenty converts. Many people with diverse of sickness got healed after they were prayed for.

     On Thursday morning we had a general cleaning with the inmates of the camp. The bushes were cleared and the village was swept. Treated mosquito nets were distributed with antibiotics malaria tablets and other medicines were given to some of the inmates. Assorted drinks were given to the participants of the communal labor after the clean-up exercise.     

     We had our second day crusade at the same time and the congregation were overwhelm. Our cleaning exercise with the inmate spread the nearby communities and people attended the evening crusade from the neighborhood. More that twenty two received Holy Ghost baptism and thirteen converts were added the same day.